


Picking Up The Pieces

by HyperKid



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Caleb might fire bolt you in his sleep, F/F, F/M, Gen, How to stop being the strong one, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Other, Trauma Dreams, aftermath of Iron Shepherds, midnight snuggles, mini Fjord, no one sleeps well alone, no thank you I will not be over Molly, poor Caduceus thinking these people are normal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 13:45:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17002788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperKid/pseuds/HyperKid
Summary: The road back from Shady Creek run seems several times longer, especially at night. Jester decides to stop dealing with it on her own.Caleb is terrible at asking for help, but she’s not going to let that stop her.Molly never did.





	Picking Up The Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> HK: I swear, I do ship full PolyNein and I’m totally working on some stuff that is not Caleb/tiefs I’m just mad at Fjord so I can’t write him.   
> Mollymauk: That’s only one excuse, you know.   
> HK: ... And I might be slightly biased because of my Caleb so he’s getting all my attention?   
> Mollymauk: Believable. Didn’t you also used to write not-angst?   
> HK: I mean I’m working on something that WAS pure silly fluff but then Caleb was Caleb all over it. So now it’s a tiny bit hurt/comfort.   
> Mollymauk: He is a sweet angsty boy.   
> HK: And I will ship him with love and support forever! 
> 
> WARNINGS!! .... Caleb. So trauma, angst, self loathing, violent nightmares 
> 
> Disclaimer: I still own nothing, despite my best efforts!

It wasn’t the cold making Jester shake from head to foot. Even as nights headed into winter, even without the tents Molly had bought for them, she never felt the cold. 

 

It was the fear. 

 

Fear that they hadn’t really gotten out, that they weren’t safe, that this was all a dream and Caleb and Beau and Nott had never come. Fear that they had been killed like Molly. 

 

During the day she was busy, they all were. There was so much to do to distract her, cheering everyone up and keeping them on the same path. 

 

At night there was just her, the darkness, and her fear. 

 

She didn’t want to be alone. 

 

She wasn’t sure how to ask not to be. 

 

On this particular night Beau had taken second watch. Jester lay awake in the darkness, dreading the moment that Beau would leave their tent, then wishing with all her heart that she would come back. There was a long journey still to make to reach Zadash. She knew the others were worrying about her, that she wasn’t sleeping. 

 

They only knew because only Caduceus slept well these days. 

 

Jester tossed and turned a while longer, trying to make herself comfortable and ultimately failing. Finally she gave up, crawling from her tent and looking around blearily. 

 

Beau was watching her from the campfire, worry in her warm blue eyes. Jester thought about smiling, waving, pretending she just needed to pee. But she was so tired. 

 

“Did I wake you?” 

 

The unexpected words made Jester jump and her gaze snapped back to Beau. Her voice was soft, kind, like someone talking to a frightened animal. Jester supposed she still was that frightened animal. 

 

She managed to pull out something in the same general vein as a smile. 

 

“No, I was already up.” It didn’t seem to cut any ice with Beau as the monk’s brows drew down into a frown. 

 

“Do you wanna come sit with me instead?” Beau offered, holding out one edge of the blanket she had tucked around her shoulders. Jester considered it. She needed someone to cuddle. But her weariness ran bone deep. 

 

“I just want to sleep,” she sighed, rubbing at her eyes. Beau seemed happier to hear that at least, nodding towards the other tents. 

 

“I’m sure Fjord and Deuces won’t mind if you crawl in?” 

 

Well, she was sure Fjord wouldn’t mind. Caduceus was a new factor, but Beau couldn’t imagine the firbolg objecting. Jester took a few steps towards their tent, then stopped. 

 

No, if this wasn’t really real Fjord would still be there anyway. They’d spent the long days and nights of captivity as pressed together as they could be at all times. Taking strength from each other. 

 

And Fjord had been taken with her. He couldn’t keep her safe. Those big, muscly arms had always been the safest place in the world, except for her mother’s. But now... 

 

Making up her mind on the spot, she turned and headed across the clearing to the tent across the way. Caleb and Nott’s tent was separated out from the others. 

 

It took a moment for Beau to work out where she was going, then she frowned. 

 

“Caleb cast Silence on the tent before going to bed, Jester,” she warned her friend quietly. “I dunno how much sleeping he’ll be doing.” 

 

No one but Nott knew better than Beau the reason for Caleb’s nightmares. Recent weeks had only added to the list. 

 

Caleb had got them out. 

 

Jester chewed on her lip for a moment at the door to the tent, then firmed her resolution with a nod. 

 

“Then I might be able to help. That would be good, I think.” She ducked inside before Beau could argue, ignoring the brush of magic on her skin. Inside the Silence spell wasn’t much louder than outside, at least at the moment. 

 

Nott was tucked into a tight ball with Frumpkin at one end of the little room. Obviously Caleb was already having a restless night. 

 

His blankets were tangled uselessly around his legs, scarf thrown off and both arms wide. He flailed in his sleep sometimes, Jester remembered, pulling the blanket out from around his legs to tuck him in properly. 

 

His breathing was laboured too, coming in fits and starts like he was running a race. Already his fingers were beginning to twitch and Jester sighed softly. 

 

“Looks like I’m not the only one sleeping badly.” She sat beside the sleeping wizard and stroked his hair. Caleb’s face scrunched up and he twisted, pushing towards her touch. It brought a sleepy smile to the cleric’s face and she stifled a yawn, settling in under the blanket to lie beside him. “It’s okay Caleb. I’m here now.” 

 

Caleb mumbled something in his sleep, his brows drawing down into a pained frown. Jester chewed on her lower lip again and wondered what to do. She hadn’t really noticed before... hadn’t really paid attention, but Caleb looked terrible. He’d been skinny and worn when they first met in Trostenwald, and filthy of course. He had been gaining a little weight with the Nein, and regular meals. That all seemed to have gone now, dropping him back down to skin over bones. 

 

Deep, dark bags under his eyes attested to the recent lack of sleep they’d all been feeling, especially noticeable against Caleb’s pale skin. He looked... fragile. Fragile and strained and almost afraid now, twisting on the ground. She’d heard it was bad to wake someone up if they were sleep walking, and while Caleb wasn’t walking he did move around a whole lot. 

 

When she had nightmares sometimes the Traveler would wake her up to help her see the nightmares weren’t real. Sometimes he just stayed with her, petting her hair and talking to her until his voice sank into her dreams. It had to be worth a try. 

 

“It’s okay,” she called softly, cupping Caleb’s face in her hands. “I’ve got you.” 

 

The furrows in Caleb’s brow grew deeper, a whimper leaving his throat as he twisted and flailed away. Jester could feel panic rising in her chest. She didn’t know what to do, how to help. It made her feel powerless once again. 

 

“Just leave him,” a soft voice called from across the tent. For an instant Jester thought it had been her own thoughts, a flash of anger shooting through her. Then she saw Nott sitting up, rubbing her eyes with her fists. 

 

“But... he’s upset.” Jester hated the little tremble in her voice. It made her sound weak, vulnerable, useless. Everything the Iron Shepherds wanted her to be. 

 

Nott shook her head, eyes filled with a weighted sadness as she watched her friend. She was used to Caleb’s nightmares. 

 

“Let him get as much rest as he can. You can come cuddle with me if you like?” She offered, shuffling closer to the wall of the tent. 

 

Jester bit her lip until the sharp copper taste of blood seeped through, closing her eyes. No. No, she wasn’t going to sit aside and be powerless again. Leaning across the bedroll, she hauled Caleb clumsily into her lap, trying to hold him still. 

 

“Please, Caleb... you are safe now. We’re all safe,” she whispered, hot tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She wanted it to be true so desperately, but... 

 

The restraint around his arms made Caleb buck more wildly, alternately pushing and grabbing like he wasn’t sure if he was trying to escape or to bring her closer. A blow caught Jester in the gut and she gasped, her own panic rising to match his. 

 

Across the tent Nott pulled herself up, reaching out for Jester’s sleeve. 

 

“Jester, please, just leave him. He’ll wake himself up soon but he won’t want us watching him! It’s better if we just pretend to be asleep!” It was the way they’d always done it on the road, just the two of them. Each facing their own nightmares, assured of as much privacy as they could get. 

 

It wasn’t something the tiefling knew how to do. 

 

“But he’s hurting and he’s going to hurt himself even more,” she protested with the first breath she got into her, shifting to try and keep Caleb from injuring himself. 

 

Nott made a face which clearly said that would be nothing new and tugged at Jester’s sleeve again. 

 

“You can heal him in the morning if he asks, but he’ll be more upset if he thinks we’ve seen!” 

 

Jester’s grip slackened and she let herself be pulled back, unable to look away from the thrashing wizard. Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes and she chewed her lip. 

 

“I wish Molly were here,” she whimpered softly, leaning into the press of Nott against her shoulder. “He would know what to do.” 

 

Nott didn’t mention that Molly would have done what she’d already suggested; given Caleb the privacy of sleep to sort himself out. Maybe sat up and talked with him, if Caleb was too shaken to sleep. She’d seen the nightmares before, but this was clearly a bad one. 

 

Even left alone Caleb was still tossing violently, arms and legs lashing out. Strangled words fell from his lips, exclamations of pain or anguish. Beside her Jester jerked with every one, a soft keening sound dragged from her throat. Finally she could bare it no longer. 

 

“We have to wake him up! That can’t be worse!” Tears spilled down her cheeks as she turned to Nott, desperate for something to do. Nott chewed her own lip and tried to think. She knew that helplessness all too well. And she’d have thought Caleb would have either settled or woken by now. 

 

“Alright,” she said slowly, frowning down at her boy. “But try to wake him gently. Sometimes he casts spells when he wakes up.” 

 

It was a good chunk of the reason Caleb and Nott hadn’t acquired tents on their own. It hadn’t been all that uncommon for Caleb to wake with a fire bolt on his lips when they first met. It had been a while now since he had, but Nott had been expecting it ever since Molly fell. She knew what set off Caleb’s fears. 

 

Jester barely waited for the warning, catching one of Caleb’s flailing hands and pulling it to her chest. 

 

“Caleb!” She called, doing her best to keep her voice soft. It came out strained anyway, tight with worry and pain. One of Caleb’s knees caught her in the side and she hissed. He was moving too much, couldn’t seem to hear her. He was going to hurt himself unless she did something. Only one thing came to mind and she twisted sideways, laying across his chest to pin him and cupped his head gently in her hands. “Caleb, wake up!” 

 

Caleb only tossed more, smacking his head off the ground and swearing loudly. Jester shifted her hands under his head to cushion the blows. She could feel her own panic rising again, the sheer helplessness pushing through her veins and choking her. 

 

“Dammit, Caleb, WAKE UP!” 

 

The wizard’s eyes snapped open abruptly, a howl choking off in his throat to become a pained gasp. 

 

“Mollymauk!” His eyes were still unfocused but what he saw was only too clear. Tears welled in her eyes once more and Jester crumpled, burying her face in Caleb’s chest. Molly would have made everything better. 

 

Molly could never do that again. 

 

As Caleb’s breathing began to slow, she heard Nott pushing quickly out of the tent. Probably to find Beau or someone else to help. 

 

It seemed like minutes that they lay there though it could only have been seconds. Caleb fought his way back from the tangle of nightmares, staring a the canvas above him and doing his best just to breathe. There was a tiefling pressed in against him, her shoulders shaking as she clutched at his coat. 

 

He was far too raw to deal with her pain as well as his. He had given up too much, burned all his reserves just to keep going when they were taken. It would have been so easy just to crumble on that stretch of road, to break apart to a thousand pieces. But he had been needed then. Jester, Fjord, and Yasha had needed him to pull himself back together and forge on. 

 

Now he paid the price for it. He felt used up, hollow, an empty vessel of blackened, charred ash in the shape of a man. And even with her tears soaking through his coat, there was nothing left in him to be a comfort. He raised a hand slowly to her shaking shoulder.

 

“Jester,” he whispered, even his voice sounding cracked and hollow, “I cannot... I cannot be strong for you today.” He had no idea why she was with him in his tent, couldn’t even muster the energy to wonder. He needed the space to fall apart. 

 

Jester’s head shot up at once, an almost offended frown the last thing Caleb had been prepared for. 

 

“I don’t need you to “be strong” for me Caleb, I’m not a child,” she snapped, her low accent roughened with temper and tears. It was enough of a surprise that it brought Caleb’s eyes to hers. He couldn’t quite find the words to ask what she was doing then, that was actually going on. And he had a sudden nagging urge to apologize. 

 

All he could master was a raspy “but...”. Jester didn’t let him get much farther. 

 

“Why didn’t you come tell me you were having trouble sleeping! You could have really hurt yourself tonight, and I know it’s not the first time!” She sat up a little, dropping a fist to his chest far too gently to even call it a blow, but with enough emphasis to show her upset. “I’m SUPPOSED to be the healer! That means you have to let me take care of you!” 

 

Caleb opened and closed his mouth a few times, blank confusion seeping its way into the void in his chest. 

 

“But... Jester, I... you have not been sleeping either...” 

 

“So you know I was around to help!” 

 

This had all gone horribly wrong somewhere for Caleb. He’d been expecting tears, maybe begging to be allowed to stay. Not prepared for them, but expecting them. Expecting it to tear her heart out to force her away, maybe even darkly expecting the rest of the group to finally see him for what he was and leave him. To lose them all now would have hurt, twisting him up immeasurably inside, yet his mind still presented it as the safer option. 

 

Leaving now would be better than leaving later. Would hurt less. Would be what he deserved. 

 

He had not expected to be berated. Not by Jester, anyway. He hadn’t even known she was capable of anger. 

 

It didn’t seem to be an emotion she could sustain. Already tears were pooling in her eyes again, though she brushed them aside with an irritated huff. 

 

“You don’t have to suffer alone, Caleb. Isn’t that what we travel together for?” 

 

There didn’t seem to be anything he could say. Possibly not even if he hadn’t just woken up screaming himself hoarse, but definitely not now. He just stared at her, entirely without energy. Jester huffed again, sitting up and gathering him to her chest. 

 

“You don’t have to talk about it or tell me anything, but you could let me be here for you,” she informed the top of his head, fingers carding slowly through his hair. Caleb realized abruptly that he was shivering. It wasn’t unusual after the nightmares, but he hadn’t quite had time to notice. Now that he had it seemed a thousand times worse. He tried to push away. 

 

“Jester, I... I do not like to wake people,” he said awkwardly, pulling himself into a sitting position. The tiefling let him go, but didn’t move away. 

 

“I’m not sleeping anyway,” she reminded him quietly, looking down at her hands in her lap. “I would feel better if I at least knew I was helping you. I could wake you up before the nightmares get bad, and we wouldn’t have to talk or anything, but if I could...” her voice trailed off, but Caleb could fill in the gaps. 

 

“If you could focus on me you do not have to feel what you’re feeling,” he whispered without looking at her. She looked up sharply, a smile blossoming across her face. Happy to be understood. 

 

“Yes! And then maybe you can relax a little bit.” She reached out to him, her hand hovering awkwardly in the air next to his for a moment. Caleb stared unseeing at her fingers for a while until she began to withdraw her hand. Then he gently took them in his own. He could feel her soft smile on the side of his face, the gentle squeeze of her warm fingers. 

 

Maybe he could relax a little. Maybe he could let go. Jester could toss him over her shoulder without a second thought; she might be able to hold him together. 

 

But he could never tell her why. 

 

Maybe she wouldn’t ask. She hadn’t asked tonight. Caleb felt his shoulders sag, the weight in his chest pulling him down. Jester caught him automatically and brought him in to lean against her. Her fingers found their way easily back to Caleb’s hair. 

 

“I hate to wake up alone,” she whispered into his temple. “Even if you are too tired or sad or scared, I know I’m okay as soon as I see you. You came for me, Caleb.” Tears choked her voice now, and she had to force the words out. “And now there is something that I can do for you. Please.” 

 

The sobs seemed to be catching, welling up in Caleb’s chest even as he lay against Jester’s warmth. A prickling in his eyes warned him in a vague, distant way that the tears were rising in him too. She would see. Or feel on her skin. 

 

And so what if she did? Bone deep exhaustion had clung to him for days now and he found with an odd lightness that he just didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care if Jester saw him cry. She knew what he had lost. They had both lost Molly. They had _all_ lost Mollymauk Tealeaf and that loss still burned. 

 

Caleb found his mind drifting back to what Fjord had told him in those first days. About Jester laughing, and singing, and telling stories for all those long days and nights. Trying to keep them together, fighting to keep them together. Just like he had fought to keep them together. 

 

His arms came up slowly to wrap around her waist. He had fought so hard, given up so much. Pushed with all he had to keep Beau and Nott with him, moving forward. To save Jester, and Fjord, and Yasha, even if she never stayed. Knuckles whitened in the folds of Jester’s dress. 

 

This was the proof. She was here, now, alive and warm in his arms. Clinging to him like her life depended on it, but undeniably present. It was finally over. 

 

It was time to fall apart. 

 

His cleric was there to put him back together. 

 

The entrance to the tent opened slowly to reveal Beau and Nott frowning in at them. Beau cleared her throat, catching Jester’s attention. 

 

“So... Nott said there might be trouble?” The monk clearly hadn’t wanted to be all that involved or they would have come a lot sooner. Already her gaze had flickered over both of her friends before settling on the other end of the tent behind them. 

Jester beamed at her and at Nott, settled almost indefinably in Caleb’s arms. 

 

“I think we are doing okay,” she told them in something similar to her usual happy tones. Her gaze flicked uncertainly to the side of Caleb’s face for a moment. He nodded slightly and the radiance of her smile should have glowed in the darkness. 

 

Beau nodded quickly, more than happy to be done as she leaned back. 

 

“Alright. Fjord’s taking over watch soon, so I’ll just head back to our tent. Coming, Jester?” She asked, gaze lingering briefly on their joined bodies. Jester chewed her lip, eyes back on Caleb.  

 

Cuddling up with Beau was good. Beau had come for her, made her safe. Beau was tough and reassuring and a secret cuddle bug. But she didn’t want to have to choose between that safety and Caleb’s safety. 

 

“I... I don’t know...” her fingers squeezed tighter for a moment and she sighed, looking at the floor of the tent. “I miss when we all just cuddled on the ground. Or in the cart. When it was all of us together.” 

 

Silence filled the small tent for a while, broken by Caleb’s soft sigh. 

 

“We can all fit, if we stay close.” His voice still felt... odd. Harsh and roughened, like he’d been drinking sand. It always was after the dreams. That wasn’t quite as important as it normally felt. A reminder of his nightmares, yes, but there was another, stronger reminder being offered here. One that he sorely needed. 

 

They were alive. The Mighty Nein were all together, as much as they could be. They were okay. Molly had not died for nothing. 

 

And just now, just for one night, Caleb wanted to remember that in every ounce of blood and bone. 

 

Beau and Nott exchanged uncertain looks, neither quite sure of what had gone on in the tent. Not quite sure if Caleb had just offered what they thought he had. 

 

Jester was already inflating, bright and filled with such a soft, warm delight that no one really wanted to say no. She pulled back just enough to see Caleb’s face, a hopeful smile forcing its way onto her face. 

 

“Are you sure, Caleb?” She asked gently, obviously trying (unsuccessfully) to hide her own feelings. Giving him a chance to change his mind. 

 

Caleb didn’t want to think anymore. He’d be perfectly happy to never think again. But maybe he was allowed this. Allowed to know that just this once, things had worked. He’d... they’d won. 

 

What could it hurt? 

 

“Ja,” he huffed the word on an exhausted sigh, half tempted to lean back into Jester’s reassuring weight. “We can try.” 

 

“Fjord will wonder what’s going on if we all stay in here,” Nott pointed out slowly, looking from Beau to Caleb. She wasn’t quite sure if she should be worried, or pleased that he had finally decided to allow himself some comfort. She didn’t even know if this was comfort Caleb would like. 

 

“You could cast Reduce on him, then he’ll fit,” Jester offered, a playful smile teasing at her lips. There was something so right about its presence that for a moment, all three of her companions felt better. 

 

Caleb tried to muster a smile of his own for her, but it was too much effort. 

 

“Ja,” he nodded slowly, giving in and settling himself in against her again. “I can do that.” One of Jester’s hands found its way into his hair and began to stroke. It was a soft, simple gesture, tender and affectionate and Caleb felt tears prickle in his eyes again. 

 

It had been so, so long. 

 

“Alright,” Beau said abruptly, breaking the new silence and clearly a little startled at the sound of her own voice, “I’ll... I’ll tell him to come join us after his watch?” She shot Nott a desperate glance, then shuffled backwards out of the tent. 

 

Nott frowned after her for a moment before edging cautiously further in. 

 

“Are you sure you’ll be alright, Caleb?” She asked in a furtive whisper. “That’ll be a lot of people in this small tent.” Usually exactly the kind of thing that would give Caleb panic attacks. Although, she supposed, not much different than huddling for warmth under the sky. 

 

“Fjord will be half sized,” Jester pointed out with a snicker, still stroking Caleb’s hair, “and we can all cuddle up if Caleb needs a little more room.” 

 

Caleb shook his head slowly, the weight of exhaustion settling onto his shoulders once again. 

 

“I think... it will be good to be close, Nott,” he whispered, and both women stilled at once to hear him. “To know.” 

 

It was about as articulate as he felt capable of being now, but Nott knew him better than anyone. He could see the understanding dawning in her eyes, a soft bloom of sadness. She nodded slowly and reached out to touch his hand on Jester’s back. 

 

“That would be good,” she agreed softly, then gave Jester a gentle swat to the butt. “Lie down, Missy, we only have until Beau gets back to get comfortable before she’s jamming her knees and elbows everywhere!” 

 

The tiefling giggled and obediently shuffled her way down onto her side, dragging Caleb with her apparently without effort. Behind them the tent flap rustled again and Beau was there, frowning down and feigning great hurt. 

 

“Hey, I can keep my elbows to myself!” 

 

“Sure you can, you just don’t!” Nott shot back, leaping over Jester and Caleb’s legs to escape a swift shot from the monk. Beau huffed but let her go, frowning down at the other two for a moment. 

 

“So... where do I...” 

 

Jester cut her off with a yawn, wrapping her tail around Beau’s wrist and yanking her down. 

 

“Come cuddle up with me, then when Fjord comes in he can snuggle behind you.” 

 

Beau made a face and a few half hearted protests, but spooned up to Jester anyway. Yasha being gone was the only thing making the plan even remotely feasible, but Beau still spent a moment wishing she was here. Not just because the alternative was being sandwiched between Jester and Fjord. 

 

Before long all four of them had managed to arrange themselves into something like comfort, tangled limbs on bed rolls. The tent was much louder now, the sounds of breathing and Beau shifting around for a comfier spot. 

 

Caleb found it almost soothing, a meditative sound. Like waves on a shore. Nott was tucked tight against his back, small and familiar. Jester had wormed a leg through his, brushing her ankle over Nott’s, and made a very obliging pillow. Beau was still making a production of settling down, but he could feel her hand resting above his on Jester’s waist. 

 

All of them were touching, all completely ignoring Caleb in their own little arguments and banter. It felt... it felt like being part of something. One little piece of a whole, treasured and valued and safe. Just for once, just for the night, Caleb let himself relax into that feeling. 

 

He had pushed so hard to bring this little family back together. Whatever he had told Nott, he belonged here now. Maybe this would even keep the nightmares at bay. 

 

Just for one night. 

 

It was nearly morning by the time Fjord crawled in to join them, prompting a series of sleepy grumbles about the cold. And a sharp kick from Beau when he wrapped cold fingers around her ankle. Snickering to himself the half orc stifled a yawn and grinned at the cuddle pile. 

 

“Someone said I was bein’ reduced to fit?” He whispered. It was basically the only way he was going to get past the door, but if Caleb was actually asleep he’d go back to his own tent. He’d rather not. 

 

Jester whined sleepily, burrowing her face into Caleb’s hair and giving him a gentle squeeze. 

 

“Jus’ shrink him,” she mumbled, and Caleb half smiled. He hadn’t quite been sleeping, though he’d drifted in and out a few times. Reaching automatically down to a pocket he pulled out a pinch of iron powder, tossing it lazily in Fjord’s general direction. 

 

Fjord jumped a little as he shrank, letting out a startled squeak that made the three ladies snicker. He regained his composure quickly enough, grinning again and crawling properly into the tent. After a moment’s consideration, he crawled up behind Beau. 

 

The monk grumbled sleepily again as chilled leather armour pressed against her cloak and swatted at Fjord. 

 

“Turn ‘ff the ice!” 

 

“Shut up,” Fjord told her affectionately, leaning over her and Jester to press a soft kiss to Caleb’s temple. “Thanks.” 

 

Caleb gave him a small smile in return. He still didn’t have quite the energy for words or long explanations, but he felt... better. Warm and peaceful instead of hollowed out and scraped. Floating. 

 

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back, reaching one arm over Jester and Beau to tuck a hand into a corner of Fjord’s armour. Fjord seemed a little surprised, but didn’t object, grinning broadly and reaching over all four of his companions. 

 

The ladies grumbled a little more, Jester swatting at Fjord’s leg with her tail in protest. She curled it around his leg after, though, so she probably wasn’t too upset. 

 

Peace flowed back into the tent as the Mighty Nein settled, an hour or two more to sleep, all curled in each others’ arms. They had lost someone special, nearly lost each other. But they had made a new friend too. 

 

One night, perhaps, the nightmares would fade. Until they did, they had each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> HK: There was a time when this was just a slightly angsty ending with just some Widojest. And then I decided fuck that I want some PolyNein   
> Mollymauk: And then someone pointed out size constrictions in the tent.   
> HK: And tiny Fjord is just hilarious to me for reasons unknown. Nott is being silently smug that she’s not the smallest. 
> 
> Frumpkin Rating: No smuts, but excellent cuddles and soothing for squishy wizard. 8/10. More cuddles required.


End file.
